^■' 






X.^"" 

^^'\ 



u 



0« o 



.,^" 



v» 






v>o^ 












* A 



|V o « o '^ 






C . A 









,0- 



v^ 






-0' 






o 






.<y 



vO- 



.0' 



^^' 



v/^. 






to ^ 

o 
o 






IV 






.^^ 



.0^ 



.^2^' 



•^ 

o 









^^. 












v^ .^r^% <^ 







A 




C" ♦ 



>^ o 




"^^ ^^ 'I 



^^ ^."^ o'/xT'^^^^ll^'"' '■^^ ^■^ 







^ *\ 



0' 



.»•* o. 












%.^^ 

><:"\ 


















v^' 







".^^-^^ 




: -^..^ 












- T>v A ■»■ »• 



'•• ^^'% "• 




4 o^ 







4.^ o»-». -^^ 




THE FAIR MAID OF MEGUNTICOOK. 



7?) I'i^^ 



V\ 



CoPYRiGUT, 1887, BY Geouge II. Cleveland. 



PRESS OF e. L. FREEMAN & SON, CENTRAL FALLS. R. I. 



H)c^icate^ 

TO THE MEMORY OF 

Miss UcQora Frer^cl^, 

WHO LOST HER LIFE BY FALLING FROM THE BOLDEST CLIFF OF 

MT. MEGUNTICOOK, CAMDEN, MAINE, 

May 5th, 1864. 

BY 

GEO. H. CLEVELAND. 




m h 



prefc 



ace. 




HAPPY remembrance of pleasant in- 

lI ■Li cidents of the past is sweet ; and 

those who spent last season at Lake 

JlLv Megunticook, Camden, Maine, will 



look back with pleasure — possibly 
tempered with sadness — on those 
happy days of the past. Lake City, 
Camp Rabbit, Isle of Pines, Al- 
den's Island, Maiden's Cliff, Bal- 
ance Rock, Pine Tree Bluff, Rustic 
Bridge, etc., are names coupled with happy thoughts ; 
and when we hear one spoken, or see a view repre- 
senting them, we feel to have met an old friend. In 
making up this little volume, our aim is to furnish a 
keep-sake to those who cherish such thoughts. On the 
literary merits or demerits we ask the critic to touch 
lightly. We make no pretensions, and have no aspir- 
ations in this direction, but would invite those gifted 
with poetical inspirations to visit Lake Megunticook and 
its beautiful surroundings, and diet for awhile on the 
poetical food Nature here furnishes ; and we believe a 
work may be produced of true merit. 

A UTHOR. 
1* 




MAIDEN S CLIFF— LOOKING SOUTH. 



(5. 



Vlequnticook. 



Gj;r)ou monster ! 
^r)y ruQ^ecl l^ei^i^ts, \\)y lofty cliffs, 
\^\)y deep ravines, tl^y dire abyss, 

C^l;v nature s stubborn will, 
Wre praised alil^e by old and younci ; 
clnd generations yet unborn 
llfaav bow tpeir peads to bonor tf^ea 
Cind seel? to laud tby majesty. 
Y et time can ne er erase tbe trutf) — 
^is sealed witlj blood of lovely youti) 
)9ou art a monster still ! 




PINE TREE BLUFF. 



ledic 



:atory. 






eautiful May morn, in the year 1864, a 
i ^ ., small party of young people started oflf with 
,. ^ _ ■ /^^i") J^'y*^^^*^ hopes and happy hearts for a jolly 
i L[<fef/.^ May ramble. Away they went, o'er hillside 

o(i-y^:,r*^l farms, throno^h shady dells, to the bold cliffs of 
(uim-t- the ever -enchanting Megunticook — from the 

>T^(^ snmmit of which, under a cloudless sky, on a 
' ^ '^° beautiful, clear Sin-ing day, may be seen the many 
islands in the distant baj', and sailing vessels as far off as 
the eye can reach, miles away over the deep, blue ocean^ 
The beautiful lake beneath, its river like a silver thread 
meandering its serpentine course to the ocean — villages, 
farms, forests, — a view supreme, above, below, afar ! After 
feasting aAvhile on this beautiful scene, the company some- 
what separated — were gathering May flowers, harebells, 
violets, etc. During this time the wind had commenced 
blowing fresh fi-om the north, and, unnoticed by the others, 
one of the party, Miss Lenora French, of Lincolnville, a 
beautiful and accomplished young lady, had remained firmly 
fixed — entranced, so to speak — on this, the boldest cliff of 
Mt. Megunticook, when by a shriek or scream she called 
the attention of the others of the party just in time to see 
her fall over the steep precipice, and next to see her life- 



less, mangled form hundreds of feet below, at the base of 
the mountain, firmly fixed in death's embrace. These facts 
have been gleaned from the parents and friends of this un- 
fortunate ■s'ictim of twenty-three years ago, and are prob- 
ably all the particulars that are known, or can be known, 
by earthly friends. 

Many theories have been advanced as to the cause, and 
many writers have exercised visionary ideas in expressing 
views concerning the sad event. As an illustration, I qiiote 
from the Boston Sunday Herald, Sept. 4th, 1887, the fol- 
lowing : 

"The cliffs of Megunticook rise in sheer precipice some- 
thing like a thousand feet or more. At one of the highest 
points a great cross stands in gaunt relief against the sky, 
telling a sad tale which has the interest of greater reality 
than legendary 'Lovers' Leaps' common to nearly every 
place where there is a high ledge. The cross marks the 
spot where a j^oiing woman, who wandered from home on 
the eve of her wedding, flung herself to instant death in 
the terrible abyss." 

The theory, however, most generally believed is that she, 
having looked for a long time into the terrible depths be- 
low, became bewildered, and on turning to leave the spot 
the strong north wind caused her to lose her balance, when 
she fell, screaming for assistance — too late for earthly help. 
A cross has since marked the spot, and the cliff is now called 
"Maiden's Cliff." 

Suggested by this sad fatality, I have written this legend, 
"which I most respectfully inscribe to her memory. 

GEO. H. CLEVELAND. 
Camden, Maine, October, 1887. 




MAIL>EN S CLIFF— LUUKINU NOKTH. 



Li^qend. 



WWAS fine. A cloitdless sky 
^ (y ercrowned this, JSfatures favored sjjoty 
^Miere lakelets' laughing waters vie 

With lofty clifi's and dragged rock. 
To-day all Nature seems to smile, — 
Megxinticook , towering to the skies. 
Sets forth its charms, and for awhile 
It hears the 2)(d'n% of Paradise. 

A rnaid, a young, fair, lovely maid, 
On whom good fortune had disjdayed 
The inchest and most hounteous share 
Of worldly gifts and heaidy rare. 
Would often clindj Megunticook, 
And, from its lofty summit, look 
Oat on the islands in the hay. 
And vessels sailing far away. . 

The human mind is not content ; 
And none can hide the sentiment 
That worldly joys give heavenly hliss 
Or Jill the " caj) of hajypiness^^ 



%^0, that is not ordained to tnan : 
No such consunnmation can 
Be fraught on earth ; and ivhen you say 
The goal youve sought for many a day 
At last is reached, just as he fore 
i^ou still desire that '''' souwtli'iug more.'''' 

She, in her heauteous, youthful pride, 
While strolling o'er the mountains side, 
Felt sad, for she had never found 
An ol>ject for her love profound. 
Her love — that deep, pure, gentle love 
SucJt as devoted Christians liare- — - 
Was latent ; and she seemed to he 
Engaged i?i prof fund reverie. 

Suddenly the spell 7cas hrol'e ; 
She heard, from an adjacent nook, 
A sound, as like a " still, small voice /" 
Advancing, it addressed her thus : 

"Fair maiden, thou art ever fair — 

The silken tresses (f thy hair, 

Thy laughing eyes, thy charming fornt. 

Are heautiful to look upon ; 

But thy true icorth to me doth seem 

Kxceeding fitness for a queen. 



''AJIi maid, hietlilnl'H I hear yoa nay, 

ir//6» and what are yoa, tell me, 2)ray ? 
I am a King of Kings, my dear — 
A nature's elemeid, and j!;t'(?/' 
Of yonder Sun, who shines so l> right. 
And Moon, \rho gocerns us at night. 

Jly name is Uoreas ; and 1 claim 
To rule the air on sea and main. 
I am to all an honored guest ; 
All manJi'ind hoio at my behest — 
And should they question my control, 
I'd shake this world from pole to jjole. 

Oh, do not fear, my gentle maid; 
Of me thou sliOuUVst not he afraid. 
For I would rather fear remove 
And gain instead thy constaid love. 
I fain ivould win thee for my Queen ; 
Then ice together may he seen 
lieigning triumpliant der land and sea 
TJirougli all time and eternity. 

But His decreed — my royal sjyhere — 
No flesh and hlood shall enter there. 
This sacrifice I axk you mal'e, 
And share u'ith me my vast estate. 



^IffOW can thdt he f I hear you say ; 
AJi ! I'hsteit ; let me name the way. 
You come ivith me, my fairest maid, 
Doion, down this jjrecijjitous grade. 
Ami when arrested from the fall 
You ' shuffle off this mortal coil.' 

Then you uud I irill he as one ; 
Arid o'er the,se mountain tops ive'll roam. 
Seeing all things hy ungels seen, — 
I, King Boreaa, and you, my queen''' 

(liarnied and deceived, she gave consent. 
And with the monster doicn she loent — 
Down, down to eventide — 
Down MegnnticooFs steejyest side — 
Tundding, rundding, whirling hy 
Life's scenes, for all eternity. 

Alan! she hids adieu to earth. 
And loving friends henioan her death ; 
Although in sadness they weep here, 
Happ)iness triump)hs in her sphere. 

And nou\ when summer sun goes dovjn — 
When Autumn north -winds wail and moan- 
Many, irith iij>turned faces, look 
For the " Fair Jfuid (f Megunticook." 



3477-^3 

Lot 77- 







• A^ 






• .<J> 












^aXv... 



c>^*^ y^ 






<J>^ * o I, ' C^ O * »^ C\^ 







^^'^. 



^""-^^ 






^- 



